Financially Struggling Cruise Line Kicks Passengers Off World Cruise

Financially-struggling, Seattle-based cruise line Cruise West says it is restructuring. In the process, the small-ship line has terminated a world cruise on its Spirit of Oceanus.

Those on the 335-day world cruise on the 120-passenger ship were reportedly told to disembark in St. John's, Newfoundland. The Great Explorers cruise began in March, and was following an itinerary loosely based on routes of famous world explorers.

While some passengers were booked for the whole cruise, shorter segments were also sold to those who couldn't do the whole shebang.

In a press release, the company says terminating the world cruise is "the first move" in its restructuring and that "additional assets may be sold and other steps are being pursued towards a restructure."

The cruise line also stopped taking new bookings. The Cruise West website now links only to the press statement.

Cruise West says in the statement it plans to continue to operate its other scheduled itineraries through October, including cruises underway in Alaska and upcoming sailings in the Pacific Northwest.

As for passengers on the canceled world cruise, and those planning to join the cruise en-route, the line says if they have travel insurance they should put in a claim, if they paid with a credit card they should contact the card issuer, and if they paid with cash or check they should contact the cruise line (at info@cruisewest.com).

There were no promises refunds would be issued.

Officials of the line were not available for comment. A recorded message at the line's headquarters earlier this week said the line had been sold, but now says "management is in the process of restructuring the company."

A specialist in Alaska cruises, the company's history dates back more than 60 years.